"That was weird right?" Krow asks Lav, who has decided he's had enough of being in Krow's pocket and is now only slightly cutting off its circulation by coiling around its arm. "Please tell me I'm not going crazy and that that was weird"
"You are not going crazy, and that was weird" Lav responds dutifully
"I didn't mean to say that exact thing literally."
"You didn't?"
"Remind me to teach you sarcasm when we get back...home....wherever that is at this point."
"Isn't home just where you live?" Lav questions. "And you're living here soo..?" Lav reasons as if there's no question about it, because frankly, to him there isn't any issue.
"Remind me to explain that to you as well.." Krow expertly dodges that conversation as it moves through the forest. The clearing is dusk is honestly kind of pretty. The light filtered through the trees. The stars just starting to show. It's serene; straight out of a storybook some might say.
Krow thinks aloud as it makes a beeline to its house.
---
"I wonder what Ayngel meant by good luck."
Lav responds with a hum of acknowledgment.
"Kind of ominous now that I think about it-"
---
The clearing is beautiful, yes, but also its own strange kind of haunting. The way the shadows dance. The occasional skull stares back at you with hollow eyes as you stare into the woods. It's barely noticeable if you aren't paying attention, but it's enough for Krow to warrant the question- "What happened here?"
---
*What is happening here is more accurate. But it doesn't need to know that right now dear reader.*
---
Krow hears a soft chuckle in response to its question. "If only we knew what happened here. 'ts the question we're all asking really."
Krow startles at the unexpected voice and hesitantly turns to face this new character, as Lav quickly slithers away into the undergrowth to spectate whatever conversation is about to ensue.A brunette, with coppery brown eyes, wearing a moss green shirt stares back at Krow. The eyes look Krow over. The brunette lingers on the still-healing wound in its shoulder. He pauses for a second too long on its horns. Especially the black one, for some reason...
"Jumpier than usual. " The brunette casually remarks.
"Was I usually jumpy?" Krow questions, before realizing its mistake and correcting itself. " I mean, I wouldn't know if I was jumpy before because according to literally everyone I've met so far, I've lost my memory-"
The brunette doesn't seem nearly as surprised as he should, almost as if he'd deduced this previously and was just looking for confirmation. "In that case...A pleasure to meet you again Krow. Certainly, more of a pleasure than it was to meet you the first time...I'm Owen." He states, matter-of-factly; smiling wide and sticking his hand out for Krow to shake.
And Krow doesn't catch how Owen's smile is a bit too wide. But then again, this Krow doesn't know Owen.
And thus, Krow takes the hand, and shakes it, and is indifferent., except for one lingering question. "What do you mean?"
"Excuse me?" Owen responds.
"What do mean by, "more of a pleasure than it was to meet you the first time"?
"Oh!" Owen begins to explain. "Our relationship before was...strenuous to say the least."
"Ok...?" Krow, unsatisfied with the response beckons Owen to go on.
"I was hoping that it might fix itself over time but... you were... extremely aggressive? Selfish? Unrelenting? Most likely all of the three, no offense."
Krow jokingly scoffs. "A lot of offense taken but go on..."
Lav chirps in from the shadows. " I can kill him if you want me to."
"Lav- what is your obsession with murder- No!"
Owen piques an eyebrow in response but doesn't press. "Anyway, maybe this is just what we needed. A reset if you will. A clean slate that we don't have to go through the effort of cleaning."
Krow nods in response, kind of unsure of what to say to that. "Yeah, maybe."
"Maybe we'll go back to clearing two someday?" Owen suggests. "I'm always up to help you regain your memories that way."
"I mean if you think that will work, maybe sometimes we can do that." Krow agrees. " I honestly want to know what I might've forgotten."
"I can imagine." Owen clears his throat and starts off back to his house. "It's getting late. I'll see you around Krow." Owen seems to consider something before turning back one more time. "I live there if you need me." He says pointing to the hut by the campfire.
Krow watches him leave, and Lav slithers out of a bush and coils around its leg this time."He seemed...nice enough. A little strange, but we've seen stranger."
Lav hums. Krow isn't sure if it's a hum of agreement or disagreement, but oh well. As Owen said, it's starting to get dark; it should probably head home. It has a few new things to write down anyways.
It's in no hurry though, so it takes its time. Engaging in nonsensical chatter with its shapeshifting companion.
---
Aish is perched on top of the Northern wall. Watching. Waiting Looking for...There! There is the whole reason that they're even here. They tap the side of their helmet twice, activating the com-link in their ear.
"HQ?"
"We can hear you. Status report."
"Target spotted"
"[radio static] Krow 2.0?"
"Affirmative."
"Stick the chip in and leave, we don't have all-day"
"You seem to have plenty of time to pester me."
"Aish I swear-"
"Shush- I'll carry out my own agenda, then I'll do your thing."
"Wait what do you mean own agen- [DISCONNECTED]
YOU ARE READING
The Reason We Run
Non-Fiction-Where P!Krow gets sent to Outsiders Smp and it meets all the outsiders this takes place during "The Meltdown" and "The Final" and After "Tooth And Nail" -Clearing A has to deal with Krow who seems to have lost its memory and he has a bat with her...
